Doubletree-hitch.



J. H. 000K.

DOUBLBTRBE HITCH. APPLICATION FILED APR.5, 1905.

PATENTED FEB. 20, 1906.

UNITED sTA is PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HARDIN COOK, OF- IRVING, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ARTHURKINKEAD, OF IRVING, ILLINOIS.

DOUBLETREE-HILTCH.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 20, 1906.

Application filed. pril 5,1905. Serial No. 253,973.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HARDIN Coox, a citizen of the United States,residing at Irving, in the county of Montgomery and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Doubletree-Hitches,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in doubletree-hitches, and hasfor its object to produce a device of the character mentioned which willbe extremely simple in-construction and which will effectively operateto eliminate the strain due to sudden erks, which is so objectionablewhere the doubletree is connected directly to the tongue of the vehicle.

Reference is to behad to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 isa perspective view of the device, showing it attached to the tongue of awagon. Fig. 2 is a vertical central longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 3is a transverse sectional view on the line 00 x of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the yoke.

The numeral 1 indicates the casing or housing within which the mechanismoperates and which is provided at its base with longi tudinal extensions2, having openings therein through which bolts are passed in fasteningthe device to the tongue or pole of a wagon. Longitudinal slots 3 areprovided at the base and top of the housing 1, through which the pin 4is adapted to slide, and longitudinal openings 9 are provided in thesides, through which the doubletree 10 slides. Grooves 5 are provided atthe top and bottom of the inside of the casing 1. The shoulders 6 at thesides of said grooves form a guideway within which a yoke 7 slides. Theyoke 7 is formed of a head and two arms extending therefrom at rightangles, one above and one below the doubletree, with a hole in each,through which the pin 4 passes, whereby the yoke is secured to thedoubletree. The arms of this yoke are long enough to al.- low suflicientspace between the doubletree and the head of the yoke for the doubletreeto have a certain amount of oscillatory movement in order to accommodateitself to the uneven draft of the team. A coil-spring 8 is interposedbetween the yoke 7 and one end of the housing, the other end of thehousing being left open, as shown at 14 in Fig. 2.

In assembling the device the coil-spring 8 and yoke 7 are insertedthrough the open end of the casing, one end of the doubletree passedthrough the side openings 9 and the pin 4 passed through thecorresponding open ings in the arms of the yoke and the double tree 10.The end of the pin 4 is secured by a washer 11 and pin 12. Thelongitudinal projections 2 are so formed that an open space 13 is leftbetween the bottom of the housing and the surface of the tongue or pole.This allows access to the pin 12, so that one is enabled to remove orattach the doubletree at any time without removing the entire devicefrom the tongue of the wagon.

The operation is as follows: Any sudden movement of the team, as instarting, will cause the yoke 7 to slide in its guideway and compressthe spring 8 until the pin 4 hits against the ends of slots 3. Duringthis op eration the spring gradually reacts upon the wagon and lightensall sudden jerks.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is In adevice of the character set forth, an oblong casing closed at one endand open at the opposite end and provided with outwardly-extendedterminal attaching extensions projecting below the lower side thereof toelevate the said casing and provide a space between it and the part towhich the said casing may be secured, said casing having vertical andhorizontal intersecting longitudinal slots and having inner flangesbordering upon the longitudinal slots, a yoke insertible in the casingthrough the open end thereof and prevented from lateral displacement bysaid inner longitudinal flanges, a doubletree freely movable in thehorizontal slot and prevent ing outward displacement of the yoke, a pinconnecting the doubletree with the yoke and having its end portionsfreely movable in the said vertical slot, securing means applied to thelower end of the pin and accessible through the space below the casing,and a spring-arranged within the casing and confined between the closedend thereof and the yoke and normally exerting a pressure upon the yoketo hold it at the limit of its rearward movement.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN HARDIN COOK.

